How patients have helped us with our research - University College ...

PATIENT CASE STUDIES 13 15
In a strange way it
helped me
Elizabeth Aldous is one of
hundreds of patients who have
been helped by the Eastman
Dental Hospital’s work on facial
pain consultations.
Elizabeth worked with
Deborah to co-create images
representing the pain she was
experiencing. Elizabeth says:
“The images were of decay,
destruction and despair. I was
once a functional, useful person
who used to do loads of things
and was now in pieces. It was
upsetting but in a strange way
it helped me manage my pain,”
she explains.
© Deborah Padfield
Initially Elizabeth was told by a
dentist that a decaying tooth
was the problem. But after the
tooth had been removed, the
pain actually got worse.
“The pain spread to my neck
and my ears. Wind hurt my
face, I couldn’t eat, swim, sing,
work – do all the things I love.”
Elizabeth was finally referred to
the facial pain clinic. She says:
“The different specialists are
Elizabeth Aldous is one of the patients who worked on the
facial pain project
working together to try to find
the right approach for me.”
She adds: “Some approaches
work, some don’t – but they
might for someone else! The
pain hasn’t gone completely
but I am noticing that I have
more days when the pain is
less severe.“